Meaning & use
bay
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Meanings
nouncountable
A part of the sea or a lake that is partly surrounded by land and has a wide opening to the open water.
Grammar: Countable: a bay, two bays.
Patterns
- a bay on the coast
- the Bay of ...
We anchored the boat in a quiet bay.
The town is built around a large bay.
The Bay of Fundy is famous for its high tides.
nouncountable
A deep, loud cry that a dog or wolf makes, especially when hunting or in pain.
Grammar: Countable: the hound gave a bay.
Patterns
- the bay of hounds
- at bay
The bay of the hounds echoed through the valley.
We could hear the distant bay of a wolf.
nouncountable
A section of a building or a space that is used for a particular purpose, such as parking or loading.
Grammar: Countable: a parking bay, a loading bay.
Patterns
- a parking bay
- a loading bay
- a bay window
The car is parked in bay 12.
The truck pulled into the loading bay.
nouncountable
A recess or alcove in a room, often with a window.
Grammar: Countable: a window bay.
Patterns
- a bay window
- a bay area
She sat in the bay window reading.
The dining room has a bay that looks out onto the garden.
verbintransitive
To make a long, deep howling sound, like a dog or wolf.
Grammar: No object: The dog bayed at the moon.
Patterns
- bay at something
- bay for something
The hounds bayed all night.
The wolf bayed at the full moon.
Word forms
| plural | bays |
|---|---|
| third person singular | bays |
| past tense | bayed |
| past participle | bayed |
| -ing form | baying |
Common combinations
- at bay
- The deer kept the hunters at bay by running into the thicket.
- bay window
- The living room has a lovely bay window.
- loading bay
- Deliveries are made at the loading bay at the back.
- parking bay
- She found a parking bay near the entrance.
- bay for blood
- The crowd was baying for blood after the controversial decision.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- bay verb
- To howl loudly and continuously.
Commonly confused: bay or bey?
bay vs bey
Bey is a title for a Turkish officer or governor; it sounds like bay but is a different word.
Practice
The ship dropped anchor in a sheltered ___ on the west coast.
Choose one answer.
A bay is a part of the sea partly surrounded by land, which fits a sheltered coastal spot. 'Bey' is a Turkish title, 'bayou' is a slow-moving marshy river, and 'bazaar' is a market, so none fit the coastal context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bay”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.